The Nyack Village Board voted Thursday to declare a housing emergency.

The village voted to opt into the state's Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) for some buildings with 25 or more units.

It regulates rent increases and entitles tenants to services including lease renewal and protection from eviction.

A municipality can opt in when its vacancy rate is less than 5%.

There was a public hearing Thursday featuring an array of opinions. Some people welcomed the ETPA and others said some solution is needed, but the ETPA is too blunt an instrument.

"Nyack was a place where people who were not rich could live. You don't want it to become a place only for rich people," Alexander Bursztein, director of the Legal Aid Society of Rockland County said.

"I have bills too. Everyone does. There's a problem everywhere. Everyone's paying more than they used to. Housing is a crisis, not just here in Nyack, but everywhere in the world," a landlord said.

After the vote, one trustee said they're not trying to take away profits, they're just trying to make a difference for the community. Another village trustee, a lifelong Nyack resident, said even she's not sure how much longer she'll be able to afford to live in the village.

Other Hudson Valley communities have opted in, or are considering it, including Kingston, Newburgh and several in Westchester.